Gatah
Source of Recipe: A church friend shared this recipe, which is also known as an Armenian Christmas Pastry. The original recipe was for the filling only, to be used with pre-made puff pastry.
Source of Recipe: A church friend shared this recipe, which is also known as an Armenian Christmas Pastry. The original recipe was for the filling only, to be used with pre-made puff pastry.
- Carbohydrate 21.4898666666667 g
- Cholesterol 22.4901666666667 mg
- Fat 3.04070833333333 g
- Fiber 0.168750002980232 g
- Protein 1.02624645833333 g
- Saturated Fat 1.76666058333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (29g)
- Sodium 22.0688125 mg
- Sugar 21.3211166636864 g
- Trans Fat 0.1677285 g
- Calories 116 calories
Step-by-step
- Boil butter approximately 1 minute (till clear) cool.
- Pour off and leave solids in pan.
- Gradually add butter to sugar while mixing.
- Add egg, mix.
- Fold 1/3rd to middle from both sides.
- Scrape fork to make design - cut long ways them cut each side at an angle.
- Bake 350 degrees F 15 to 20 minutes, or till brown.
Substituting standard whole butter for clarified butter alters the moisture content and structural integrity of the pastry, preventing unwanted spreading in the oven. Water trapped in unclarified milk solids creates steam pockets, which disrupt the dense, crumbly texture characteristic of authentic Gatah. Clarification requires boiling the fat for roughly one minute until the milk solids separate and settle at the bottom of the pan, allowing only the pure lipid to be poured off.
Mastering the Dough and Sugar Balance
Incorporating the fat gradually into the dry mixture ensures the flour coats evenly without forming heavy gluten networks. Vanilla powder disperses more uniformly through the dry sugar than liquid extracts do, avoiding concentrated pockets of flavoring. Scoring the surface with a fork prior to baking creates thermal channels that release internal steam while producing the traditional decorative pattern. Baking should proceed at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, stopping precisely when the edges turn light brown to prevent the high sugar content from burning.
- Using unclarified butter introduces excess water, resulting in a soggy rather than crumbly final texture.
- Failing to separate the milk solids during butter clarification causes localized burning on the baking sheet.
- Overmixing the flour after adding the liquid ingredients develops unwanted chewiness instead of a short pastry crumb.
